The present invention relates to exercise and therapeutic devices and, more particularly, to passive motion devices, i.e., devices which put a passive user through prescribed movements without effort on the part of the user.
It is estimated that in the United States alone, as of the mid-1990s, there were 25,000,000 people a day who suffered from some kind of back pain and that as many as nine out of ten Americans will suffer back pain at some time in their lives. The resultant total economic burden on industry in the United States is estimated at $40 to $50 billion annually.
One approach to relieving back pain and cervical pain is through exercise or therapeutic movement, and a substantial number of exercise devices and machines have been developed for exercising the back. However, many of these devices are unsuitable for persons suffering from serious back pain because use thereof tends to increase the pain and/or because there is danger of injury (or further injury) to the back, e.g., to the spine or to the supporting muscles.
One approach to exercising of the back and other parts of the body involves the use of passive exercise machines, i.e., machines that exercise muscles of the user (e.g., the back and abdominal muscles) without any active effort on the part of the user. A number of these devices and machines include separate support sections for supporting different parts of the body (e.g., the head and upper torso are supported on one section and the lower torso and legs on a second section) and are motorized so that, e.g., while the user lies flat on his or her back, the lower torso and legs are moved as a unit with respect to the upper torso and head which remain stationary, so as to provide automatic side flexion. Such machines include conventional xe2x80x9ctoning tablesxe2x80x9d as well as specially designed devices such as the xe2x80x9celectric flexion distraction tablexe2x80x9d made by Health Care Manufacturing of Springfield, Mo. and the SPINALATOR(copyright) machine made by the Chattanooga Group, Inc. of Hixon, Tenn.
Patented devices of interest include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,002 (Riddle et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,641 (Riddle et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,916 (Riddle et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,913 (Parker); U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,880 (Daniels); U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,550 (Richardson); U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,541 (Parker, Jr.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,359 (Reinert); U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,260 (Mcllwain); U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,234 (Forsythe); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,017 (Stefani, Jr.). Briefly considering some of these patents, the Riddle et al. patents all disclose passive exercise devices designed for the lower back region. The devices feature two sets of support means, one for the upper body and one for the lower body. The device is designed such that either one, or both of the two support means may be pivoted up or down. The Parker patent discloses a passive exercise device which includes interchangeable components adapted to be attached to the table apparatus. The device is deigned to provide leg exercises in a variety of different positions. The Daniels patent discloses a passive traction/motion device. A cervical traction device is also provided. The Richardson patent discloses a passive exercise device in which the patient may be reclined in the so-called xe2x80x9c90/90xe2x80x9d position described below. The legs of the patient are placed in a leg rest which may be removed from a table portion. The device provides a variable speed rocking motion (in an elliptical path) to the legs and torso of the user.
In accordance with the invention, a continuous passive motion apparatus or machine is provided which affords a number of important advantages. The invention is based, in part, on the appreciation that continuous passive motion, particularly when combined with traction, can be beneficial in treating various muscular and skeletal injuries or disorders, and on the belief held by many health care professionals that the slow and passive movement of an injured joint or like disorder can reduce pain and/or speed the recovery of many patients with such disorders.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a passive motion apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: a main support assembly for supporting at least part of the body of a user of the apparatus and including a first support member including a substantially horizontal support surface defining a plane and a second support member including a substantially horizontal support surface disposed in said plane, said second support member being pivotably connected to said first support member and being movable relative thereto such that movement of the second support member with respect to the first support member provides passive movement of a part of the body of a user supported by said second member relative to a part of the body supported by said first support member; a separable leg support assembly adapted to be connected, in use, to said main support assembly at either end of said main support assembly so as to support at least part of the legs of the user; and motorized drive means for providing said movement of said second support member relative to said first support member.
In one preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the leg support assembly includes a support platform and a support strut for, when said leg support assembly is positioned at one end of said main support assembly so as to be disposed adjacent to said second support member, supporting said platform in a plane elevated with respect to the first-mentioned plane such that lower portions of the legs of the user are elevated with respect to the remainder of the body of the user and such that upper portions of the legs of the user extend at substantially right angles with respect to the lower portions of the legs and the trunk of the body of the user. Advantageously, the leg support assembly further includes means for pivotably mounting said support platform with respect to said support strut so as to enable angular adjustment of the support platform about the support strut.
In another embodiment, the leg support assembly comprises a leg support member defining an upper support surface and means for detachably affixing the leg support member to said main support assembly such that said upper surface of said leg support member is disposed substantially in said plane. Advantageously, the leg support member is adapted to be selectively connected to said main support assembly at either one of the two opposite sides of the main support assembly.
Preferably, the motorized drive means comprises an electric drive motor and control means for selectively controlling the operation of said motor. Advantageously, the control means comprises programmable means for controlling the motor so as to control the amount of pivoting movement of said second support member relative to said first support member.
The control means preferably includes a stop switch adapted to be operated by a user of the apparatus to terminate the relative movement of said second support member. In an advantageous implementation, the motor comprises a gear head motor and said drive means further comprises a worm screw mounted on said first support member and being driven in rotation by said motor, a traveling nut mounted on said worm screw for travel therealong in response to rotation of said worm screw by said motor, and a link pivotably connected to said traveling nut and to said second support member so as to cause said pivoting movement of said second support member in response to travel of said traveling nut along said worm screw.
Preferably, the passive motion exercise apparatus further comprises at least one temperature control pack removably disposed on one of said first and second support members. Advantageously, the temperature control packs comprise one of (i) at least one cold pack and (ii) at least one hot pack.
In a preferred implementation, the passive motion exercise apparatus further comprises a safety belt affixed to said second support member. Advantageously, a pair of laterally spaced hand grips are provided which are affixed to one end of said first support member but can be affixed to either support member.
In an advantageous embodiment, the second support member includes inflatable means, including first and second alternately inflatable sections, for providing rotational movement of a part of the body received thereon. The first and second sections preferably comprise first and second inflatable bladders disposed in side by side relation and said inflatable means further comprises an air pump and means for connecting the pump to said bladders so that the pump provides alternate inflation and deflation of said first and second bladders.
In a beneficial implementation, one of said first and second support members includes cervical rotation means for rotating the neck and head of a user. Preferably, the cervical rotation means includes a curved support member in which the head of a user is received, curved race, a plurality of bearings, disposed between said curved support and said curved race, for permitting movement of said curved support member relative to said race, and drive means for producing movement of said curved support member.
Advantageously, the passive motion apparatus further comprises traction means for supporting at least one part of the body of a user in traction.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a passive motion exercise apparatus for exercising the back of a user by providing passive motion of the lower trunk and legs of a user relative to the remainder of the body of the user, the apparatus comprising: a first elevated support member for, in use, supporting, back down, the upper trunk and head of the user; a second elevated support member, movable with respect to said first support member, and disposed at a common level with, and adjacent to, said first support member, for in use, supporting, buttocks down, the lower trunk of the user; means for providing pivotable movement of said second support member in a common plane about a vertical axis disposed centrally of said first support member; and a third elevated support member, disposed in a plane elevated with respect to said common plane and disposed adjacent to said second support member, for supporting the lower portions of the legs of the user so that, in use, the upper leg portions of the user extend at substantially 90xc2x0 to both the lower trunk of the user and the lower portions of the legs of the user.
Preferably, the third leg support member includes a support strut, a support platform and means for pivotably mounting said support platform with respect to said support strut so as to enable angular adjustment of the support platform about the support strut so as to change the position of the lower legs of the user.
Advantageously, at least one temperature control pack is removably disposed on one of said first and second support members, said at least one temperature control pack comprising one of (i) at least one cold pack and (ii) at least one hot pack.
Preferably, a safety belt is affixed to said second support member.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a passive motion exercise apparatus comprising: a main support assembly for supporting at least part of the body of a user of the apparatus and including a first support member including a substantially horizontal support surface defining a first plane and a second support member including a substantially horizontal support surface disposed in said plane, said second support member being pivotably connected to said first support member and being movable relative thereto such that movement of the second support member with respect to the first support member provides passive movement of a part of the body of a user supported by said second member relative to a part of the body supported by said first support member; a first, separable leg support assembly adapted to be connected, in use, to said main support assembly at either end of said main support assembly so as to support at least part of the legs of the user in a second plane elevated with respect to said first plane; a further, separable leg support assembly, for use when said first leg support assembly is not being used, said further leg support assembly comprising a leg support member defining an upper support surface and adapted to be connected, in use, to said main support assembly such that said upper surface of said leg support member is disposed substantially in said plane; and motorized drive means for providing said movement of said second support member relative to said first support member.
Preferably, said first leg support assembly includes a support platform and a support strut for, when said leg support assembly is positioned at one end of said main support assembly so as to be disposed adjacent to said second support member, supporting said platform in said second elevated plane such that lower portions of the legs of the user are elevated with respect to the remainder of the body of the user and such that upper portions of the legs of the user extend at substantially right angles with respect to the lower portions of the legs and the trunk of the body of the user. Advantageously, said leg support assembly further includes self-adjusting means for pivotably mounting said support platform with respect to said support strut so as to enable angular adjustment of the support platform about the support strut.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a passive motion apparatus for providing passive motion of the lower trunk and legs of a user relative to the remainder of the body of the user, the apparatus comprising: a body support unit comprising: a first support member for, in use, engaging the upper trunk and head of a user; a second support member, movable with respect to said first support member and disposed adjacent to said first support member, for, in use, engaging the buttocks of the user; a third support member, disposed adjacent to said second support member in a different plane therefrom, for engaging the lower portions of the legs of the user so that, in use, the upper leg portions of the user extend at substantially 90xc2x0 to both the lower trunk of the user and the lower portions of the legs of the user; and means for providing lateral pivotable movement of said second and third support members relative to said first support member; and a stationary base for pivotably supporting said body support unit so as to enable pivoting of said body support unit between a first, substantially vertical position wherein a user is supported in seated posture on said body support unit and a second, substantially horizontal position wherein a user is supported in a reclining posture on said body support unit.
As in the other embodiments, the third support member preferably comprises a support strut, a support platform, and means for pivotably mounting said support platform with respect to said support strut so as to enable angular adjustment of the support platform about the support strut.
Preferably, the second support member extends outwardly at a non-zero angle with respect to said first support member so as to act as a seat in said first position of said body support unit.
In an advantageous implementation of this aspect of the invention, the body support unit includes a fourth support member interposed between the first and second support members and affixed to the second support member for movement therewith so as to undergo lateral pivotable movement with the second support member.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in, or apparent from, the detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof which follows.